Community Squash Model by US Squash

COMMUNITY SQUASH MODEL

US SQUASH US Squash is a 501c3 organization that serves as the national governing body for the sport in the United States. Our mission is to lead squash's growth and development. In pursuing this mission, we create and promote opportunities to become part of an ever-broadening squash community, one widely known to value excellence, diversity, fair-play and sportsmanship. We envision people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds across the country enjoying squash, playing the game with a positive spirit, and participating in programs that foster camaraderie, facilitate competition and encourage healthy lifestyles. We invite you to join us in pursuit of this vision. We are grateful for the passionate players across the country who champion this vision in their local communities. One such example is the Community Squash Model that was born in the basement of a YMCA in Portland, ME. Portland Community Squash has prepared this document in hopes that the core values of access, equity, and integration seep into the fabric of squash facilities old and new. The Community Squash Model has quickly grown into a national framework for the sport's future. Read more about the Community Affiliate Network at ussquash.org/community-initiative.

MODEL PURPOSE Leveraging squash to create multicultural and multigenerational community centers.

USES The model was designed for communities between 50 and 500 families, and applies to every type of facility, whether they are Outdoor Courts, Universities, Independent Schools, Non-Profit Facilities, Squash + Education Alliance Facilities, Private Facilities with Non-Profit Partners.

PORTLAND COMMUNITY SQUASH MISSION

We are a non-profit community center delivering squash, wellness, and education in Portland, Maine. We seek to unite neighbors of all ages and backgrounds and to fully support youth on their journeys from elementary school into adulthood. We believe that a commitment to access, equity, and integration makes every community stronger.

CAROL GRAHAM AND FIONA HILL SENIOR FELLOWS AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION “At a time when our country is riddled with

from all backgrounds to acquire and develop

division and despair, Portland Community

skills and friendships, as well as build new

Squash (PCS) is an inspiring example of

social contacts and community networks for

how focused grassroots efforts pull people

themselves and their parents. The PCS model

together. Sport, arts, and education activities

is now being scaled up around the country. It

that promote the involvement of youth and

provides important lessons on how to achieve

their families play a major role in reducing

concrete results through long-term sustained

despair, restoring vibrancy to communities,

investment in the next generation’s well-being

and generating hope for the future. PCS offers

and education, and by emphasizing diversity

life changing opportunities for young people

and inclusion.”

President + Executive Director, Portland Community Squash Senior Advisor for Community Programs, Barrett Takesian starting Elementary practice at Portland Community Squash

US Squash

Chair of Portland's Out-of-School-Time Workgroup Afterschool Ambassador, Afterschool Alliance Consultant, Barrett Takesian LLC

THREE PILLARS OF COMMUNITY SQUASH ACCESS

EQUITY

INTEGRATION

In the neighborhood, for the neighborhood.

Meet the needs of youth and families.

Relationships across lines of difference.

If you can achieve one of these, you will make your city a better place to live and grow up. If you can achieve two of these, you will change lives within your community. If you can achieve all three, you will be an inspirational organization for the country.

ACCESS PROVIDE PROGRAMS THAT STRIVE TO REFLECT THE MULTICULTURALISM OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HOW WILL YOUR COMMUNITY TRACK CULTURAL DIVERSITY? All of us belong to many cultural groups. We should strive to create spaces where all cultural identities can thrive. With that said, you should be intentional about the specific cultural groups you track to measure cultural diversity.

CULTURE The learned and shared values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of an interacting group. - JANET BENNETT, 2012 THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL INCLUSION

Portland Community Squash tracks national origin, gender, race, and income information across all programs by including a demographic section on all enrollment forms.

ACCESS PROGRAM EXAMPLES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SQUASH When students start squash early, long-term retention improves. Create weekly clinics and align with strategic partners. AFTERSCHOOL SQUASH For every young person enrolled in afterschool in America, three more are looking for a program [America After 3 pm]. Bring middle and high school students together after school and on the weekends. COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIPS Allow local families, individuals, and youth to become members so they can access the facility during all open hours. PUBLIC CLINICS Create weekly and one-off clinics for youth and adults to try the sport. SUMMER SQUASH Provide safe programs for youth to connect and play during the summer.

MARKETING + ENROLLMENT

Acces s

LAUNCHING ACCESSIBLE PROGRAMS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.

BROAD MARKETING Open Houses, Website, Word of Mouth INTENTIONAL MARKETING Align with partners that serve specific cultural groups in the city. Recruit ambassadors that can spread the word to specific cultural groups SELECTION CRITERIA Create clear selection criteria for each program for transparency and diversity SIMPLE ONBOARDING Simple entry points and simple forms for each program REMOVING BARRIERS Transportation, financial aid, and inclusive communication methods create accessibility

Portland Community Squash provides the following: • Financial Aid - PCS reserves 30% of memberships and 70% of youth program spots for families that request financial assistance • Transportation - PCS picks up from school and drops off at home for any student that requests transportation • Inclusive Communication - PCS works with each family to identify a preferred communication method and language.

DATA

• Attendance and Demographics by Program

Reach full enrollment in all Access Programs, demonstrate that participants reflect the cultural diversity of the surrounding area, and reach financial sustainability with recurring earned and fundraising revenue.

• Program accomplishments

ACCESS SURVEY QUESTIONS + GRAPHS • Access: Friendship - PCS helps me form friendships. • Access: Place to Play - PCS provides a place for me to play squash and exercise. • Access: Connections - PCS helps me create professional connections. Based on access survey responses, we can formulate access scores and observe how these

ACCESS SCORES

values differ by cultural group, hours in the facility per week, and years in the community.

1-3

4-7

ACCESS SCORES

INTENSITY (HRS/WK) AT COMMUNITY CENTER*

1-3

4-7

DURATION (YEARS) AT COMMUNITY SQUASH*

* values for demonstration purposes only

Acces s

MILESTONES

PROGRAM SPECIFIC DATA

17 Acces s

Read this news clip about Portland Community Squash, 6-months after opening, as they started the transition from the ‘Access Phase’ to the ‘Equity Phase’ Press Herald June 2017.

FINANCIALS Access Programs can scale up and down easily. In 2013, PCS had a handful of volunteers offering free youth and adult programs on two converted racquetball courts at the local YMCA. By 2015, PCS had a board of directors, a dozen volunteers, about 100 squash players, and 2,000 people on the mailing list. In 2017, PCS opened its own facility and ramped up the revenue and expenses.

PROFIT AND LOSS

2013

2015

2017

01 Junior Program Revenue

25,653

02 Membership Revenue

196,446

15,900

86,033

420,538

1,897

17,831

$15,910

$87,930

$660,468

4,479

$15,910

$87,930

$655,989

301

7,911

115,869

02 Membership Expenses

48,824

03 Fundraising Expenses

10,674

57,219

04 Overhead

3,902

45,016

191,114

Total Expenses

$4,284

$63,603

$413,026

NET OPERATING INCOME

$11,626

$24,327

$242,963

Income

03 Fundraising Revenue 04 Other Revenue Total Income Cost of goods sold GROSS PROFIT Expenses 01 Junior Program Expenses

EQUITY AS YOUR COMMUNITY GROWS, YOU MAY HAVE THE ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES TO COMBAT SYSTEMIC GAPS THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY. AN EQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE FEWER RESOURCES.

EQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES

WHAT GAPS TO ATTACK? Through community conversations with youth, families, and leaders, you will identify areas where families are seeking more support.

As the organization gained strength, PCS identified the opportunity gap and the wellness gap as two areas of focus: THE OPPORTUNITY GAP Youth are facing racial and economic education inequities, a shortage of opportunities after school, and barriers to earning post-secondary credentials. THE WELLNESS GAP Families are looking for programs that provide a safe place for more exercise, less screen time, healthy food, and positive community relationships. In response to these gaps, PCS dedicated resources to layer Equity Programs over the Access Programs.

WELLNESS PROGRAM Yoga, Fitness, Cooking, and Critical Conversations to support youth and families mental and physical health. SQUASH + EDUCATION ALLIANCE Equal amount of time in the classroom as the squash court for students from middle school to post-secondary school. POST SECONDARY SUPPORT Preparing and supporting youth as they navigate career and post-secondary options. SQUASH COACHING EQUITY Investing in youth and families that are looking for more but may not have the financial means.

EQ UI T Y

EQUITY PROGRAM EXAMPLES

EQUITY SURVEY QUESTIONS + GRAPHS

ENROLLMENT

• Equity: Education - PCS helps me develop skills to advance my career

Equity Programs are prioritized for participants with demonstrated need.

• Equity: Wellness - PCS helps me improve my mental and physical health. • Equity: Opportunities - PCS creates external opportunities for me,

EQ UI T Y

or education.

such as traveling to tournaments, visiting colleges, and attending

1. Publish applications to Equity Programs for the community

Maine summer camps.

2. Selection Criteria: Create clear selection criteria for each program for transparency and diversity

Based on equity survey responses, we can formulate equity scores and observe how these values differ by cultural group, hours in the facility per

PCS provides a Squash + Education Alliance program called Rally Portland, which provides additional academic and travel opportunities to youth that apply and demonstrate academic need, social-emotional need, or a lack of access to extracurricular opportunities. Rally Portland is a member of the Squash + Education Alliance.

EQUITY SCORES

week, and years in the community.

1-3

3. Youth admitted into an Equity Program also retain their spot in their prior Access Programs. For example, a student that gains acceptance to Rally Portland will retain their spot in Afterschool Squash, as well.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC DATA • Attendance and Demographics by Program • Program accomplishments • Social-emotional development tool • Wrap-around services provided

PCS uses the Holistic Student Assessment with the PEAR institute at Harvard

INTENSITY (HRS/WK) AT COMMUNITY CENTER*

EQUITY SCORES

DATA

4-7

1-3

4-7

DURATION (YEARS) AT COMMUNITY SQUASH*

* values for demonstration purposes only

25 EQ UI T Y

FINANCIALS Providing the hook, in this case squash, is an affordable proposition. Adding wrap-around services to provide equity adds costs. In 2019, PCS added academics, travel, mentorship and wellness to the youth programs. Youth program expenses increased by 75% compared to 2017 levels.

PROFIT AND LOSS

2019

Income 01 Junior Program Revenue

59,839

02 Membership Revenue

248,790

03 Fundraising Revenue

538,119

04 Other Revenue Total Income Cost of goods sold GROSS PROFIT

21,345 $867,643 0 $867,643

Expenses 01 Junior Program Expenses 02 Membership Expenses

199,123 106,693

03 Fundraising Expenses

91,079

04 Overhead

250,114

Total Expenses

$647,009

NET OPERATING INCOME

$220,634

PCS completes the Equity Stage and community members tell their stories in Maine the Way Magazine June 2020. “I love your pillars of access, equity, and integration. How do you set about achieving those goals?” “US Squash has been promoting access for years, and the Squash and Education Alliance has been promoting equity. In Portland, we knew that we could achieve both. Access brings the community in. Equity informs how resources are distributed once families are in the building. Lastly, integration is about welcoming differences and uniting on common ground.”

INTEGRATION AT THIS POINT, YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FEEL WELCOME AND SUPPORTED BY THE ORGANIZATION. FAMILY RETENTION SHOULD BE STRONG, AND YOUR SPACE IS ONE OF THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE SPACES IN TOWN. INTEGRATION IS STARTING TO HAPPEN NATURALLY, AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE FORMING ACROSS CULTURES AND GENERATIONS. Americans are stronger when they stand united, yet many of our social networks and spaces segregate neighbors by cultural group, whether that be income, race, political affiliation, or another.

RELATIONSHIPS ARE FORMING ACROSS CULTURES

FAMILY EVENTS There will be times when food and events bring the community together better than the courts.

MULTICULTURAL CONVERSATIONS Provide space for your community members to engage in topics that promote multicultural and race equity.

INTEGRATION SCORES

INTEGRATION PROGRAM EXAMPLES

1-3

4-7

INTENSITY (HRS/WK) AT COMMUNITY CENTER*

In the early days, PCS would host 2 annual potlucks, and people would spill out of the Integration Phase, PCS is building the Community Commons to host four or five community events per week to provide more opportunities for families to connect - music, dinners, story telling, workshops, and community conversations. PCS created a weekly conversation series called Iceberg Talks where community members gather to discuss how their cultural identity shapes their attitude towards specific topics: “your taste in music, the holidays you celebrate, your relationship with authority, what makes you feel welcome when you enter a space, etc…” These conversations help

INTEGRATION SCORES

the courts and classrooms into the hallways. As the organization turns its focus to

community members build trust and understanding across lines of difference, while

1-3

helping PCS to create policies that work for various cultural identities.

4-7

* values for demonstration purposes only

DURATION (YEARS) AT COMMUNITY SQUASH*

DATA INTEGRATION SURVEY QUESTIONS + GRAPHS • Integration: New Cultures - PCS helps me get to know neighbors from different • cultural groups. • Integration: Comfortable - PCS makes me comfortable being my true self in the space. • Integration: Civic Engagement - PCS inspires me to be more involved in my local community. Based on integration survey responses, we can formulate integration scores and

EVERYONE

YOUTH

ADULTS

FREE LUNCH

PAID LUNCH

WHITE

POC

FEMALE

MALE

NON-BINARY

POPULATION: 700

POP: 400

POP: 300

POP: 400

POP: 300

POP: 350

POP: 300

POP: 100

observe how these values differ by cultural group, hours in the facility per week, and years in the community.

OVERALL

ACCESS

EQUITY

INTEGRATION

RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT – PCSQUASH.COM/DEVELOPMENT

MEMBERSHIP – PCSQUASH.COM/MEMBERSHIP

• Your students make a multi-year commitment. Create multi-year campaigns to help your supporters do the same. A scholarship campaign allows supporters to make multiyear commitments with monthly giving, annual invoices, or deferred single gifts. • Annual Peer-to-Peer Fundraising events grow your network and raise funds. • Use opportunities and pipelines to delegate and execute traditional annual fund solicitations.

• Membership programs are the easiest programs to run. In addition to creating sustainable revenue, membership is also great for mission delivery.

ACCOUNTING – PCSQUASH.COM/ACCOUNTING

SAFETY – PCSQUASH.COM/SAFETY

• Price programs to break-even:

• Financial reviews are important: Safety reviews are critical. Your biggest exposure is student and family safety. Ensure that safety is a bullet point in every meeting agenda.

Annual Program Variable Costs

Annual Program Overhead Alloaction

Annual Program Capacity

GOVERNANCE – PCSQUASH.COM/GOVERNANCE • Building and organizing your most passionate volunteers and stakeholders will create the human capital you need to go out and generate financial capital and great programs.

Annual Cost per Participant

• If you don’t reach program enrollment, you will have to cover the gap by increasing prices or fundraising. • How many enrollment spots are designated for full pay vs financial aid? FACILITY – PCSQUASH.COM/FACILITY • Any court can be a community squash court. The model is working on single converted racquetball courts to 75,000 square foot facilities. Here are some tips if you have a facility to manage.

PARTNERS – PCSQUASH.COM/PARTNERS • Partners will save you time creating participant pipelines into your organization, and learning best practices to run an efficient organization. Who not how! The goal is to work together to ensure that all of our youth and families are finding great programs, within squash and beyond. YOUTH PROGRAMS – PCSQUASH.COM/YOUTH-PROGRAMS • Offering multiple levels of youth programming allows participants to find their desired level of involvement. Flexibility will increase long term youth and family engagement.

33 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY – PCSQUASH.COM/INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY • (1) Court Reservations, (2) Customer Relationship Management, (3) Email Marketing, (4) Accounting System, (5) Office Software, (6) Online Fundraising Platform, (7) Payment Processing, (8) Point of Sale

PCS uses (1) Clublocker, (2) Insightly CRM, (3) Insightly Marketing, (4) QuickBooks Online, (5) Google for Nonprofits, (6) Classy, (7) QuickBooks Payments, (8) QuickBooks Point of Sale

MARKETING – PCSQUASH.COM/MARKETING • Email blasts and press will get the word out, but these efforts succeed with targeted messaging to specific groups. Your programs and your fundraising depend on targeted recruitment. Employees spend most of their days segmenting lists using custom fields, finding the right ways to communicate, and recruiting participants and supporters. HUMAN RELATIONS – PCSQUASH.COM/HUMAN-RELATIONS • To get into the community squash game, you’re looking for money, location, and leadership. Oftentimes, leadership and staffing are the hardest to secure. Don’t be afraid to look beyond squash into other community center labor pools, such as local YMCAs.

Thank you to the first seven facilities to join the Community Affiliate Network: Atlanta Community Squash, Portland Community Squash, Access Youth Academy, Urban Squash Cleveland, StreetSquash, and MetroSquash. Community Initiative

The Arlen Specter US Squash Center, opening July 2021, will serve as the largest community squash center in the world, bringing together US Squash ‘Access Programs’ and SquashSmarts ‘Equity Programs.’ Best practices from the center will be shared nationally.

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